Appendix C—


Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments


Under the Proposed Action


The following narrative constitutes the language that would 

amend RMPs under the Proposed Action. Two distinct types 

of amendments would be achieved: the first section, All 

RMPs, contains the language with which all BLM RMPs 

for Montana and the Dakotas would be amended. The 

second section, Specific Decisions, contains the language 

that would amend certain additional decisions in specified 

RMPs. 

All RMPs 

The Big Dry, Billings, Garnet, Headwaters, Judith-ValleyPhillips, North Dakota, Powder River, South Dakota, and 

West HiLine RMPs, would be amended to include the 

following: 

•	 Fire Management Zones and corresponding categories, 

as described in Tables 2 and 3, and the rationale 

(available in the administrative record). 

•	 Direction for fire and fuels management needed to 

protect other resource values (described in section 

2.5.3.1 of this EA). 

•	 Broad levels of treatment over 10 years, as described 

by category in Table 2. 

Specific RMPs 

Big Dry RMP 

Commercial timber sales will be allowed in all forest and 

juniper woodland types. Commercial and pre-commercial 

material may be removed to reduce fuel loadings and prepare 

the site for prescribed fire activities. Treatments will move 

the sites toward Desired Future Conditions and/or a fire 

resilient classification. 

Sites that are in Fire Condition Class 2 may have commercial 

and pre-commercial material removed. 

Sites that are in Fire Condition Class 3 will have precommercial and commercial material removed or treated 

prior to prescribed fire activities. 

Sites that are in condition Class 1 may be treated with precommercial or commercial mechanical treatments and/or 

prescribed fire, if conifers are considered to be encroaching 

on shrubland and grassland/shrubland habitat types. 

Wood product sales will be allowed on all forest and juniper 

woodland types in the planning area. The purpose is to 

reduce or maintain fuel loads, to achieve desired forest health 

conditions and to maintain wildlife values. 

Pre-commercial thinnings, removals, and treatments will be 

allowed on all forest and juniper woodland sites that are 

Fire Condition Class 2 or 3 except for those special 

management areas identified in the RMP. 

Use of ground based harvest and slash treating equipment 

will be limited to 40 percent slopes and less. Material 

removal may occur without equipment occupying the site 

on steeper slopes, by using equipment such as feller buncher 

booms, pulling cable and winching, helicopter yarding, and 

cable yarding. 

Powder River RMP 

Commercial timber sales will be allowed in all forest and 

juniper woodland types. Commercial and pre-commercial 

material may be removed to reduce fuel loadings and prepare 

the site for prescribed fire activities. 

Sites that are in Fire Condition Class 2 may have commercial 

and pre-commercial material removed. 

Sites that are in Fire Condition Class 3 will have precommercial and commercial material removed or treated 

prior to prescribed fire activities. 

Prescribed fire may be used on all Fire Condition Class 2 

sites and all Fire Condition Class 3 sites following treatment 

or removal of pre-commercial material and treatment or 

removal of commercial material. Prescribed fire treatment 

acres are unlimited. 

Sites that are in condition Class 1 may be treated with precommercial or commercial mechanical treatments and/or 

prescribed fire, if conifers are considered to be encroaching 

on shrubland and grassland/shrub habitat types. 

Judith, Valley, Phillips, West HiLine, and Billings 

RMPs 

Harvest of merchantable timber as a result of community 

protection projects or hazardous fuels removal would be 

considered incidental under RMP allowable cut guidelines 

and not be counted against the yearly Allowable Sale 

Quantity (ASQ). 

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Sales of forest products would be coordinated with adjacent Implementation: A wide variety of silvicultural prescriptions


landowners and agencies where possible, and emphasize may be used depending on fuels management objectives and


forest health and fuels reduction through sound silvicultural site characteristics (e.g., tree size, age, species composition).


prescriptions. Offerings would be through both negotiated


and public auction sales.


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